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Susan M. Casey

Freelance Writer

Susan Casey, author of "Kids Inventing! A Handbook for Young Inventors" and "Women Invent! Two Centuries of Discoveries that have Changed Our World," can be reached at scbooks@aol.com or www.susancaseybooks.com.

Articles by Susan M. Casey

In the healthcare-lighting arena, the improvements and increasing affordability of light-emitting diode (LED) products, along with advancements in lighting control technology, enable creative lighting designs that benefit patients and staff members.
Studies show that natural light is critical to human function and can benefit patients and staff in healthcare settings. READ MORE

Where are the growth areas? That’s a question many electrical contractors (ECs) ask themselves. This recent low-voltage project reflects current trends, such as increased demand for connectivity and for energy savings, and could well provide ECs across the country the motivation to pursue these opportunities. READ MORE

Backup power is critical for almost all, if not all, facilities. Design of a backup generator system and its capacity depends on the purpose of a business or facility. Hospitals need a complete backup in the event of a power outage; the lives of patients can depend on it. READ MORE

Separated from the U.S. mainland’s electric supply by an ocean, Hawaii is working toward a goal mandated by Hawaii’s Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS), which requires 40 percent of the state’s electricity to be derived from clean-energy sources by 2030. READ MORE

“Today we are building better houses than we ever built before, and part of that component is that we air-seal the houses. It’s the best thing you can do for an occupant, energy-wise, because the cost of heating is reduced considerably, and a house is easier to cool. But there’s a caveat: what comes into the home, stays in it,” said Ken Nelson, northwest regional sales manager, Panasonic. READ MORE

Cooperation, coordination and conversation can pay off. That’s what the team behind the energy upgrade of Hilton Los Angeles/Universal City discovered when the hotel underwent a $7 million energy-saving retrofit, the biggest property-assessed clean energy (PACE) commercial project in the nation. READ MORE

The devil, as they say, is in the details. When it comes to reducing energy use and cutting costs at a national and international airport, which details do you target? At Boston’s Logan Airport, Massachusetts Port Authority (Massport), owner and operator of the facility, zeroed in on one opportunity: monitoring energy use of pipes throughout the airport infrastructure. READ MORE

New York’s Empire State Building (ESB), one of the world’s most iconic buildings, now attracts the attention of even more tourists with the light-emitting diode (LED) upgrade of its tower lights. READ MORE

“Warehouse lighting projects are always financially driven,” said Brandon North, service manager, Commonwealth Electric Co., an electrical contractor with offices in Nebraska, Iowa and Arizona. “Since they are an upfront investment, the owners want to see how quickly their money is going to turn over. Generally, that’s the biggest hurdle: getting the owners to commit. READ MORE